Unicompartmental Knee Replacement Surgical Procedure

Unicompartmental Knee Replacement surgery is preformed under a spinal or general anesthesia. The surgery takes approximately two hours.

The patient is placed on their back and a tourniquet applied to the upper thigh. An incision, about 7cm, is made to expose the bones of the knee joint.

The damaged portions of the femur and tibia are then cut at the appropriate angles using specialised jigs. Test components are then inserted to check the accuracy of the cuts and determine the thickness of plastic required to place in between the two components.

Each knee is highly individual and will vary from patient to patient. To cater for this the knee replacement implants range in size and will be chosen and matched according to each individual patient. If there is more than the standard amount of bone loss extra pieces of metal or bone can be added.

The permanent components are then inserted and the knee is checked again to ensure everything is working properly. The knee is then carefully closed, drains inserted and the knee dressed and bandaged.

Disclaimer: Information provided via this website is for educational and communication purposes only. The material presented is neither intended to convey the only, nor necessarily the best, method or procedure, but rather represents techniques and procedures used by A/Prof Al Muderis. A/Prof Al Muderis disclaims any and all liability for injury and/or other damages which result from an individual using techniques presented on this website. A/Prof Al Muderis, to the best of his knowledge, believes the information presented is current and applicable to work being done by orthopaedic surgeons worldwide.